Congress is back in session with a short time to finish a long to-do list, including keeping the government operating and paying its bills. Hanging in the balance is President Joe Biden’s entire domestic agenda, including major changes proposed for Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, the new Texas abortion law that bans the procedure early in pregnancy is prompting action in Washington.

Joanne Kenen of Politico, Mary Ellen McIntire of CQ Roll Call and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.

Also, Rovner interviews former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb about his new book on the covid-19 pandemic.

Extra credit links:

Julie Rovner: The New York Times’ “Their Baby Died in the Hospital. Then Came the $257,000 Bill,” by Sarah Kliff

Joanne Kenen: The New Yorker’s “The Struggle to Define Long Covid,” by Dhruv Khullar

Mary Ellen McIntire: KHN’s “Will ‘Dr. Disinformation’ Ever Face the Music?” by Victoria Knight

Sarah Karlin-Smith: The Washington Post’s “The World’s Tallest Populace Is Shrinking, and Scientists Want to Know Why,” by Rachel Pannett

Click here for a transcript of the episode.

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